Game apparatus.



M. F. McGOWAN.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPucmoN FILED ma. e. 191s.

Patented July 30, 1918.

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M. F. MCGOWAN.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION man reale. 191s.

Patented July 30, 1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 wle...wwnuuwwn..

me Nouns grens co., nnamurna., WASHING von. v. c;

Y l Y r Application led February 6, 152,18. Seria1No.215',609r.

Ynlflcnnlai.Y FRANCIS Meeo'wAjN, ory nitiiunaromlwasiiirrdiron.,

TQ all whemt may vencer/1# Be it known that -I,1-IMICHAEL McGoWAN, a 'citizen of the United States, residing at Bremerton, in the county of Kitsap, State o f Washingtom have-invent# ed a new andy useful; Game Apparatus and Ldo herebyldeclare the following to bea full, clear, and exactdescription of the infventionsuch as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains tomake and' use thesame. Q Y This invention relates to an improved game apparatus, and lone ofthe objects of the invention isg'toI provide a simple, eff

ficient and practicalapparatus of this kind, which 1s inexpensive in constructlonV and may be-sold at are'asonable protj,

'A further object of the invention iste:

provide a game apparatus, Whichfis seien-4 tie inthe mode ofplay, and will give the.

players a great deal of amusement and pleasure. v f

A further object of theinvention is to provideV an improved game apparatus, so constructed that the various parts maybe easilynndquickly disassembled, so vas-to be packed in a small Vcompass Whennotvin lise.

In practical fields the details ofV construction may necessitatealterations falling With-` in thel scope oflwhat is claimed..

The invention. comprises further features and combination'of yparts as hereinafter Set forth, shownin the drawings and claimed.-

VIn'the drawingsz'-` Y l 1 Figure l isav planvew of the improved gameapparatusk constructed in v accordance' with the invention,- 1 5 Fig. 2is a View vin side elevation. Fig. 3 1s av 'longltudmal sectional View fon Referring more especially to the draw;

ings,-V l designates the frame'i of theY game board ofthe apparatus. This frame maybe constructed offanyfsliitable material, preferably sheet metal' or the like, and the frame comprises the bottom 2a and a marginal` flange 3,' which consists ofthe vend pieces 4: :md5 and the longitudinal side pieces 6 and 7, and the upper edge ofthe flange isformed ina bead or'roll 8,said bead'or rollvhaving an interior wire r9,.for"stiifenmgf1or reinendY portionof the lb tton1 2 is bent as at 13 FRANcfis Vrectionof the arrowa..l A

- ma Armadas: f

@pavia-at dawn-waneer@ l portion l5- This portionfll is providedvl with a pairof upstanding llugs 16,1Whgicl1zV areI bolted as at4 17 to Vtherear' end piece of fthe margi nal flange. The bottom` 21 atfits` extending ea1s 18, Which are securedjby boltsjl9to the longitudinal'side pieces', and

7 of said frame. Adjacent Where-the: bot'- tom 2 extends downwardly asuitable sheetA metal partition 20 is arranged. The ends of'.

this partition have ears 21secured by'bolts 22 to the vloingitudinad side pieces 6 and 1 (.7

Blyproviding the 'oifset portion l5 yand by;

means of the partition `20, the framejis divided into the compartments '23e11d 24,; 1

The space 24 is utilizedfor containing'- the balls to be actuated by the master-ball. The

spacer-23 -issub-dividedA by the partition 25,V the; lateral ears or lugs 26 of which are se-j cured by bolts 27 to the end piece- 4 and the partition 20. vIhe'partition 20is spaced upf.V

Wardly from the bottom 2 and extending theroll or beaded edge 29 of the oscillatory member 30E is -pivoted This roscillatory member 30 constitutes means to normally close the space Vbetween the lower edge of the-partition 2 0 and the-'bend V13 ofthe bottom 2 A suitable leaf spring -31 is-securedl at132 tothe partition 20, and .the flfflendV of the spring 33 bears against the oscillatoryv member 30,v in order to hold-the lmemberjao:v

normallyclosed., VSpring arm 3 l `is se;

c ure'dfat 35 to, themember' 30.. The bottom 2 Vata 'point indicated bythe numeral 3,6 merges into :a slightly inclined part137, So-

that-the master or actuatingball 38 will reg; main in contact with. thepmernber; 30, when4 the ball 38 is once set.; A; shaft') vis mountf;

ed in bearings40 and 4llin the partition 25;4 i and the longitudinal v side .piece 7 respec-r l tively. Near V'the vouter end of the'shaft 39, a ratchet Wheel 42 is mounted? and 'on the.

outer'extremity'offthe shaft V39v a knob 43' jgis secured'inanyl suitable manner,vr A springfpawl ,44 secured atj45-to th e longitudinavl,

side piece 7 of the' frameengages-the ratchet 4t2 to rprevent retrograde .movement of the.

shaft 39,; vvhichiA rotates ynormally in thedi@ .1.

is secured 'by` a set'scl'ew 47 on the shaft 3 9,

and this sleeve isprfovided w'ithradial armjs 48, whichy are .designedto `pass bythespring. arm E3/ll, :when the. shaft 1 3,9 iS imitated- 59; l11S- f 31 to trip the oscillatory member 30, which fiies back into position underk the tension of the spring 33, and' actuates the master ball 33 in the direction of the arrow A bottom section 49 is provided, the same having ears 50 at its side edges secured by bolts 5l to the forward parts of Vthe side pieces of the frame. Hinged at 52 to the forward edge of the bottom section 2 is a trough 53, which is provided withy a plurality of compartments 54, 55, 56, 57 and 58. compartment or pocket 54 is designed to receive the"shilo ball and when such ball enters the pocket or compartment 54, the player firing or shooting said ball in the pocket wins the game. The other pockets toward the opposite sides are numbered respectively from 20,15, 10 and 5, the center pocket. 54 being numbered 30, and the balls entering these pockets co-unt for the player according to the numbers respectively named. If the shilo ball enters anyone of the pockets other than the pocket 54, the shilo ball counts the same as any other of the' balls designated by the numeral 59. The shilo ball is designated by the numeral 60. The balls 59 and the shilo ball 60 are designed to be racked in a. triangular contoury by means of the triangular frame Gl, on the forward end of the space 24 of the game board of the apparatus. If any of the balls 59 enter the shilo pocket 54 the player counts 30, or according to the numbers on y /the shilo pockets. The counting numbers of the pockets are printed upside down, so that the reflection of the numbers in the mirror 62 may be correctly read by the players at the other end of the game apparatus. The mirror 62' is supported in a frame 63, which is pivoted at 64 between the forward ends of the side pieces of the frame. W'hen the game apparat-us is out of use, 4the mirror may be tilted downwardly on the trough 53,

as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Thel forward end of the frame has a transverse piece 65, provided with ears 66, which is secured by bolts 67 to thel forward parts of the side pieces of the frame. -A closure 68 is pivotally secured as at 69 to the cross piece 65, and said closure may be closed as shown in Fig.V 2 when the mirror frame is moved to its dott-ed line position. The ends of the trough 53 have laterally extending pins 69 which pass through the segment slots 70 of the side pieces of theframe, so as to guide the trough when tilted upwardly, so as to discharge the balls from the pockets orv compartments on the bottom 2 of the game board. The bottom V2 of the game apparatus and the interior ofthe trough is lined with some suitable material such as felt or the like 7l and 72, so as to deaden the sound incident to the balls rolling on said surfaces. Suitable wickets 73 rise upwardly from the forward end of the bottom The lcenter 2 and are spaced according to the divisions between the pockets or compartments, that is according tothe width of the pockets. A transverse metal strip 74 is riveted to the upper ends of the wickets and the longitudinal edges of this strip 74 have flanges 75 between which the arch strip 76 engages, thereby reinforcing the strip 74, Which engages between the side pieces of the frame, hence preventing lateral movement of the wickets. A triangular shaped frame 77 has its ears 78 secured by bolts 79 to the side piece 7 `of the frame, and this frame 77 is designed to receive the racking frame 6l, which is used for racking the balls. The side piece 7 of the frame has a cutaway por tion 30, to permit the insertion of the racking frame 6l.

The lbottom of the yrack receiving frame has a cutaway part Sl, to permit the hand of the player to grasp the rack, for the purpose of removing the same, when desired to rack the balls. The master ball 38 is of a larger diameter than the balls 59,` so as-to be unable to enter between the wickets and into the pockets. The inner faces of the side pieces G and 7 are covered by means of suitable felt 82, and the forward face of the oscillatorymember is also covered with felt 83,v for the purpose of deadening the sound.

In playing this improved game, the balls` 59 and the shilo ball-are rst stacked by means of the rack 6l'. The rack is removed and placed in its pocket 77. The first player then places the. master ball 38 in the position that may be desired to secure the best aim atv the stack of balls forward of the game-board. The player then .rotates the knob 43 which turns the shaft-39 .suiiiciently to trip the spring arm 34,-tilting the oscillating member 30 and whenit returns under the action ofk the springv33, the master ball 38 will be fired or shot or thrown toward the stack of balls, which willy become scattered. The various balls will be tossed about on vthe game-board, some passing through the wickets andinto the pockets or compartments, and others will remain in various positions on the board. The player then sets'the master ball-38 according to the aim desired and again fires ork shoots the same. The player continues these operations until all of the balls 59 and 60 are cleared from the game-board. The shilo ball 60 is of a differentcolor than the balls 59, for in. stance, black, and should this ball enter the pocket or compartment 54 the player wins the game. However, should the shilo ball enter any other pocket or compartmentV other thanl 54 it counts according to the number of the pocket in which it enters, the same as any of the balls 59. Should any of the ballsY 59 enter the shilo pocket it counts according to the number 30 over the pocket. Should any one of .the balls A59 and 60 locate near the oscillating member 30, it is placed on the spot 60, and other balls becoming located near the member 30 are placed tothe rear of the first ball on the spot in alinement therewith.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. In a game apparatus, a game-board on which at one end a plurality of counting balls may be racked, a master ball to be placed at the other end of the game-board, an oscillatory master ball firing member at one end of the board, a plurality of pockets extending transversely of the board at the other end having numbers of various denominations employed in counting the game according to the balls entering the pockets, and a reflectin member in which the numbers of the poc ets are reflected.

2. In a game apparatus, a game-board having a trough hingedly united at one end, said trough having a plurality of pockets provided with counting numbers of various denominations, and a spring-tensioned master ball firing member pivotally united at the other end of the board for shooting master ball toward a stack of balls in advance of the pockets.

3. In a game apparatus, a game-board having a` trough hingedly united at one end, said trough having a plurality of pockets provided with counting numbers of various denominations, a sprmg-tensioned master ball firing member pivotally united at the other end of the board for shooting a master ball toward a stack of balls in advance of the pockets, and means for actuating said firing member.

4. In a game apparatus, a game-board, having a trough hingedly united at one end, said trough having a plurality of pockets provided with counting members of various denominations, a spring-tensioned master ball firing member pivotally united Vat the other end of the board for shooting a master ball toward a stack of balls in advance of the pockets, means for actuating said? firing member, and a series of transversely arranged wickets in front of the pockets of the trough.

5. In a game apparatus, a game-board having a trough hingedly united at one end, said trough having a plurality of pockets Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

provided with counting numbers of various the board at one end and having a plurality of pockets provided with countin numbers of various denominations, means or mounting said member whereby the same may be tilted to discharge the balls back upon the game board.

7. In a game apparatus, a game-board, a trough member extending transversely of the board at one end and having a plurality of pockets provided with counting numbers of various denominations, means for mounting said member whereby the same may be tilted to discharge the balls back upon the game board, and an oscillatory masterv ball firing member at the other end of the gameboard for shooting a master ball at a plu.- rality of balls racked in advance of said pockets.

8. In a game apparatus, a game-board, a trough member extending transversely of the board at one end and having a plurality of pockets provided with counting numbers of various denominations, means for mounting said member wherebv the same may be tilted to discharge the balls back upon the game board, an oscillatory master ball firing member at the other end of the game-board for shooting a master ball at a plurality of balls racked in advancev of said pockets,

means for actuating said firing member, a

series of wickets arranged transversely of` the game-board in advance of the pockets, and a mirror in the rear of the pockets in which the counting numbers are reected, said game-board having means to-receive a ball rack when not in use. l

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MICHAEL lFRANCIS MGGOWAN. Witnesses:

A. A. DIoKovEn, W. B. Guns.

Washington, D. C. 

